After he made sure that there was no more bug than what we have found, this friendly inspector walked out assuring that he will keep in touch. As he got in, there was a beep and the dispatcher disclaimed that there was a body by the road turning to Nashville and he is to be reported immediately. With a sour face, he got in and sped off leaving behind us, a five very disturbed people in the room. As per the interest of all, we decided to go for a movie and we agreed really sourly.

But we never knew the plan would be abruptly stopped by a small phone call asking us to be there where the body was found. Alex knew something was really bad but he kept quiet throughout the entire ride and as we reached there; the people were really thick, but inspector Jenkins worms us out of the mass and we gasped at the sight that we were to see. Nat fell down to her feet and cried so hard worrying us all. After all, she was friend with her, more like sister; it must be so bad for her. I could even feel the tug at my heart, it's not like she deserved forgiveness after what she did, but nobody deserves to die like this. She sobbed hysterically seeing the twisted body of Stacey who had three deep gashes on the head and several stabs on the body. She had her eyes opened with tears still wet on the side of her eyes. Unable to look at her, I slowly walked towards Nat and we cried together. She repeatedly said the last thing she said to Stacey was that she won't forgive her.

The world was spinning relentlessly, but at first it was my own problems of my fat body, depression and like those stuffs that made me hate life. But, now as I am in middle of too many responsibilities, I feel like crawling into the depths of earth and never wake up. Having fat issues were so much better than this.

Alex had his fists tightly clenched and he was so angry that he looked so destructive. Finally there was a roar of anger from Alex who fell down with heavy breaths and it took, David, Brono and Jenkins to calm him down to the back seat of the police cruiser. He kept on chanting like a mantra that he will kill Den. seeing him in this state, made me feel angry and scared. I was scared of my Alex. I couldn't believe my own voice there. But, I did the bravest thing and walked to him, and upon seeing me, he held on to me and cried like a small child. The more I assured him everything is going to be alright, something that I doubted myself, the more he repeated the words of Nat. The last thing he too said was he won't forgive her.

After two hours on the crime scene. There was no evidence, no nothing to connect her murderer to this heinous crime. Finally, she was pulled into a black body bag and was wheeled to the forensics for autopsy. It was then I realized her bike that was still running, lay half a mile away from her body. It surely was meant to look accidental by her assaulters but the stab mark showed otherwise which a small plus sign was for us.

As Jenkins saw everything was settled so far, he walked towards us and broke the news.

"The special police and FBI are having shadows over him and we are watching him from now on. There is a small hole in his plan but that won't be enough if we have to pin him under custody. But, now as the matter has escalated to seriousness, we are hoping to grab him at the earliest. I am sorry, I shouldn't have called Alex, but I wanted someone to claim her, to say they knew her. We contacted Sandra as she was the only relative, but she claimed nothing and that was the end of it. You all need to rest, goodbye Alex. My friend Jacob here will drop you home and Richard will get your vehicle home."

Alex shook his hands and Jenkins pulled him to a warm hug which stayed for a couple of minutes and then, without another word we drove through the dark to our place which I doubt will be filled with Stacey's laughter.

---

Stacey, despite the scratches and bruises, looked calm and beautiful in her white lace dress holding a bouquet of white lilies. A small tear dropped to one of the petals as I bid farewell to a friend whom I used to adore before I knew about the turn of events. Unlike me, Nat couldn't hold it much, thus, she broke down into sobs and cried so hard that it was unbearable to look at her without crying. That made the few people gathered around, sniff and wipe away imaginary tears. Yes, there were only few people gathered and that too when they heard there will be free food and service. No one knew Stacey and thus there was not many to her funeral. Even though inspector Jenkins let Sandra know about the funeral, she didn't come.

Finally, as we stood there watching, her casket without any hesitation got lowered and that made my heart twist in pain. She was a happy soul like one of us and now she is below us in God knows where. Won't this be my fate too, one day? Will I be worthy of appreciation; will there be many people for me? What will happen? Those thoughts made me cry little longer making me want to be a good religious girl. But, what it takes to be a good girl after all these years I neglected something like this.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn't realize I was the last one standing beside her grave. When Alex nudged me to go, I said I will come and asked him to go. After sitting there for half an hour alone, I felt someone coming in my direction. I thought it was Alex but the strong fragrance of something feminine made me turn around and saw a sore eyes woman standing. I stared at her asking who she was with my eyes and knowing I was questioning her; she sat beside me and looked at the grave longingly.

"We all will end there one day, wont we?"

"I am afraid yes we will."

"I should have been a sensible sister to her. She was so alone."

"I assume you must be her sister."

"Yes, she came to me asking for help, she came from so many miles away looking for her sister... but, I couldn't... I was in the clutch of that mad man. I knew he will destroy her like he did me. At first he lured me in and gave me all those which I dreamed of. A life, oceans of dresses, an oasis full of money, men, alcohol; I was in heaven. At least that's what I thought. But, he used me to do many bad things. I never knew he would kill her, even though I asked him; no, pleaded him not to. But, he killed her. And now he will kill me too. I am such a horrible sister. I am sorry Stacey, I am sorry dear." She sobbed violently making me forget all about the things that make me want to hate her and it made me want to hug her and so I did that, what my heart asked for... I hugged her. Even though her perfume was so overpowering, I had to squint my eyes and hug her back, to calm her nerves.

"I am afraid; I should ask who you are talking about."

"The mafia king DenLorenTobiasPandow; the notorious. But, he is a fool at times. He himself claims to be the mafia... but,"

"Oh..." I was itching to ask what lies beyond that but... but, it seems like she was so much engrossed in crying clutching to a happy face of Stacey when she was five. I couldn't be rude right now.

"You have to be careful Angela; he is after Alex for some reason which I am not sure. You have to be very careful. I have to somehow get out, I have to somehow escape. For my sister, for my mother... for my..."

"I knew you would switch lanes."

There was a flicker of fear in her eyes and I knew she mouthed help. She stood up after that and pretended. But, it was so easy to see that she was acting. Poor thing; I myself was scared to bones.

"Oh Den, why did you have to ruin my plan. I was trying to get her under my wing."

"Really; since when did I plan such things with you, my dear?"

"Well, it was only yesterday you said you wanted to kidnap Angela."

"Ah, darling, it was not yesterday, it was weeks ago. Are you well? You are not on drugs are you? And Angela, how good of us to meet again. I came to pay respect to a very good friend of mine who apparently turned useless to me."

"Why are you doing this Den?"

"What am I doing what Angela?"
"This... you killing Stacey, Charles and now on back of Alex. Why are you doing this?"

"Whoever told you, I am behind these killings."

"Oh, don't lie to my face. You surely did say that when we were together. Now don't you say you don't remember it?"

"AH, well, I am having many unfinished business here dear. But, that doesn't include killing worthless people. "

"Oh, so you are denying now. Oh, how gentlemanly you are. Keep up to your words you old fool."

Sandra was scared like a deer caught in the headlights. She mouthed 'what are you doing'. And she was shivering so bad that I wanted to console her. But, then my plan will be under water. For inspector Jenkins had an instinct that Den might come around later to her grave and thus he stationed me with a recorder. So, I need to somehow make him confess the crimes he did. Otherwise, I may provoke him so bad that he might shoot me, but as soon as he pull his gun out, sniper shooters from inspector's side will gun him down. Even then, I am standing in a very dangerous territory especially if I am provoking him.

"I don't deny what I don't do Angela."

"But then you don't hold the title of being a gentleman as you claim for you change your words often." In a flash, he pinned me to a tree that was a few feet behind me and that impact made my whole body repulse. But, I never left my stare from him. The only concern for me was, if the recorder was fine or not.

"Don't you make me angry Angela? I am not your elementary school boy now. I have power and I have authority; something which you will never understand and come across with; so talk to me wisely."

"Oh, but I never told anything to annoy you unless what I tried to pin on you was actually your doings. Otherwise why do you have to perk up this way?"

"Now challenging me... are you not wise girl? I warn you..."

"You won't do anything to me pretty boy. Behind your hard boy character there is a small slightest hope that I will come back to you. I warn you, I will never come around if you were behind those killings and if you lie, I will know. So, tell me once and for all, did you do those killings or not?"

There was a long silence, before he sighed and looked away from me.

"Yes, I made them do it. Now, what are you going to do about that, huh, lovely?"

His eyes were a darker shade of black and made me squirm in my shoes. But I stayed strong; I can never show him I was weak, that I was scared. "You will never return back to me, so I will have to kill you once and for all." That one was really unexpected, yet, I stayed rooted to my spot. But, hearing that, Sandra screamed and ran away; in fact it was more like taking baby steps on the soil with high heels; Den pulled out his revolver and shot her in the back of her head. After that there was no time for him to turn the gun to me, from somewhere he was shot in the knee and he fell down, with the gun a few meters away. As he was about to crawl to his gun, I kicked the gun away from him and he glared at me. But, then it gave way to a smirk and pulled a whistle sort of thing and pressed a button, which didn't make any sound but I know he was calling for help or something worse.

If he thought the game was still in his court, then he was wrong. I laughed, so hard that I had the urge to kick on the bullet wound, but I was not cruel like him, so I stayed put without doing so. The blood was pumping out from the wound like they were too happy to get out of such a man. Inspector Jenkins and his troop came and dragged him with them.

"I knew Angela, you are up for something. I always knew you were the brilliant type. And I knew my time was up, the games over. But, there is a surprise for you and you will know it soon. If I don't have you, then nobody will. I will come back; I will come back to you my dear. Just wait."

Just wait sounded like an echo from a far place as he was hauled into a cruiser that was parked some distance away.

"Good job Angela."

"I feel bad to have done that next to her grave and she had to witness her sister die the brutal way too."

"I never thought she will come over. She was very averse when I said it was your only sister; you're only relative. Well, some things turn out to be this way, don't they?"

"Yes, I am sorry Stacey."

Inspector Jenkins took me to his cruiser and took me back to Alex who was waiting for me anxiously. And seeing me with inspector Jenkins means too many explanations. Sighing loudly, I got out and walked towards him. For my sake, inspector Jenkins made up a believable story and said it was all over. That Den was arrested and we had evidence and he made me remove the small recorder I had on my shirt button. Alex seemed too angry then he was relaxing when he knew that everything was over. That Den was finally arrested and there won't be any constant threat.

By the time we were talking, FBI was all around Den's places, raiding and arresting people. It took months for them to collect reliable evidence and finally arrest and dispose of the notorious mafia. In fact, it was Den's wordings; the gang was more like a street club which had direct connection to a mafia. But as it is, the mafia was not as stupid as Den, thus, the FBI didn't get any evidence to pin them under arrest. But, as long as Den was away, the threat was too far away.

Finally, we were happy but something nagged in the back of my brain. Something nudged me in the heart. I was not sure what it was. But, then I had to give way and finally smile genuinely after a very long time enjoying the company of my friends, pizza  and the love of my life.